Zaher El-Ali: Texan Loses Civil Forfeiture Argument in Appeal
A Texas appellate court on Tuesday shot down a man who argued that the state’s civil forfeiture law is unconstitutional. We covered the case of Zaher El-Ali and a Chevy Silverado in July; in that case, El-Ali had sold the aforementioned truck to Roberto Faustino, who got popped for a…
Facebook Modifies Guidelines, Clueless Thousands Cut and Paste Response Citing Berne Convention
A funny thing happens whenever Facebook does anything. People lose it. Change the layout of the profile page, go crazy. Add a new feature, go crazy. Change privacy or use guidelines, REALLY go crazy. But the denizens of Facebook are not quite like everyone else. In their case, “go crazy”…
Who Was Lucille Bishop Smith?
The subject of this week’s cafe review, Lucille’s, frustrated me so much over the course of three visits that I struggled this week to find much nice to say about it in my weekly review advance (the post you’re reading right now which — hopefully — directs readers to each…
RIP Dave Brubeck: “Take Five” Jazz Great Dies at 91
Dave Brubeck, the professorial jazz pianist and composer whose No. 2 album Time Out was a standard of the Mad Men era, has died at age 91, the Associated Press reported Wednesday morning. Brubeck’s manager, Russell Gloyd, told the AP that Brubeck died of heart failure on his way to…
Reality Bites: LOLwork
There are a million reality shows on the naked television. We’re going to watch them all, one at a time. Cast your mind back to the late 1990s, when venture capital was still available for surefire endeavors like Pets.com and eToys. There was a commercial for a company I don’t…
Slaughtered Pig Left Outside of Cypress Mosque a Possible Hate Crime
As a group of Muslims came to pray last night at the Islamic Outreach Center on Wilks Drive near Mueschke Road in Cypress, they made a sickening discovery. There was a dead pig on the deck of the deck at the entrance of the mosque. “Although Muslims do not abhor…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Brandi Key of Coppa Ristorante Italiano, On Working Up the Pappas Food Chain and Learning to Cook with Food Allergies
Brandi Key Coppa Ristorante Italiano 5555 Washington Tel: 713-426-4260 This is Part 1 of a three-part Chef Chat series. Check back with us for Parts 2 and 3, which will run in this same space Thursday and Friday. When Brandi Key was named executive chef at Coppa Ristorante Italiano, all…
The Best & Weirdest PR Email Subject Lines of 2012
Rocks Off gets at least 6,000 emails a week. Aight, it’s more like 30 a day, I guess, more if it’s SXSW season or the holidays, or if my co-workers get into a rousing conversation about chicks in our one of nightlife slideshows. Out of all those emails, we may…
Atheists in Texas: Who Knew? And on the Increase, Too
Texas has a long history of atheism, although most of its followers like Madalyn Murray O’Hair who moved to Austin in the mid-1960s and founded the American Atheists, were few in number and didn’t have a whole lot of power. But lately there’s been an increase in the number of…
This Week In Food Blogs: Virgin Kitchens and Uninformed Morons
Dallas Observer: Although Anthony Bourdain is the most famous recent convert to Texas barbecue, Gavin Cleaver of the Dallas Observer (our sister paper) recounts his own love story with smoke and brisket in this week’s feature story: “An Englishman in BBQ Sauce.” City of Ate: In this second of this…
A Local Venue With an App? Mucky Duck Has One… and It’s Good
Survival in the hospitality business is rough. The vast majority of restaurants fail. Bars are an even tougher go, and nightclub success is even slimmer. That puts live music venues on the lowest rung of the success ladder. So, it is understandable when a live music venue, struggling to get…
Roaches, Wasps and Other Bugs at Art Palace
Wreaths are ubiquitous this time of year, but the wreaths in Peat Duggins’ fourth solo show at Art Palace have nothing to do with evergreens or season’s greetings. In one piece, there’s a perfect circle of wasps, forming a ring out of what seems like a hole in the wall…
Dynamo Proud of 2012 Season, Looking Ahead to 2013
When the Houston Dynamo look back at the 2012 calendar year, they look back with their heads held high. Yes, head coach Dominic Kinnear and company are still reeling from the disappointment of falling short a second straight year at MLS Cup. But as a franchise, they make the argument…
Build-A-Bar: Swedish Punsch, a Revered and Now Revived Spirit
Where would the world of cocktail geekery be without Eric Seed? Given that he is more or less single-handedly responsible for reintroducing a ridiculous number of esoteric ingredients to the U.S. market, I’m guessing it would be in a sorry state indeed. If there’s one thing cocktail geeks like, it’s…
Top 5 Old Songs Ripe for Hipster Updates
After having grown up in a pop-music culture that every day grows more adept at rehashing, re-imagining and (let’s be frank) flat-out stealing sounds from those who came before, today’s indie bands are no strangers to aping their influences. And unlike post-punk and grunge before them, this class doesn’t just…
Video Game Atlas: Hope
Once a week Art Attack will offer you a handy little travel guide to the fictional worlds of video games. Name: Hope, Hitman series Population: 2,000 Government: Mayoral democracy You lose track of the hours lounging in demonic night spots, and by the time I left The Velvet Room it…
Autorama Delivers Sweet Rides, Lovely Ladies and One Kick-Ass 1948 Dodge Power Wagon
Cool cars and hot chicks. If that isn’t how the Autorama is normally promoted, that is exactly how they should do it next year. As you can see in our slideshow from this past weekend’s car-stravaganza, there were plenty of both, but especially the rides. They had all the freaking…
Last Night: Odd Future at House of Blues
Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All House of Blues December 4, 2012 “We finally made it to this motherfucker…” A year ago, that wouldn’t have been the lead sentence to this in-the-moment thought bubble about an Odd Future show. That’s because the press machine around that time was firmly…
Three Fashion and Lifestyle Blogs You Should Be Reading
Not to be too bossy about it, but if you love fashion there are a lot of blogs you should be reading. But seriously, who has the time to read ALL OF THE BLOGS we should be reading? No one, that’s who. That being said, read these three! That is…
Celebrate Hanukkah with Potato Goodness: My Favorite Latke Recipe
True story. I love Hanukkah. I love it so much that last year, I made latkes for like 85 people by hand. Fine. That was a semi-true story — it was more like 15 people…but still. Either way, they were delicious. And I’m doing them again (this time with a…
[PHOTOS] Houston Texans Fans Decorate an Entire Block
Yesterday, we posted about a rabid Texans fan who painted his house with the logo and marks for wins and losses throughout the season. Today, we’ve got an entire street. After being alerted to the existence of another house decorated for the Texans, our own Abrahán Garza went for a…
Tequila & Tamales Returns on December 11 and You’re the Judge
At last year’s Tequila & Tamales throwdown, TQLA surprised attendees by taking home the night’s big prize — but not for tequila. Instead, the Southwestern restaurant (pronounced, yes, “tequila”) won Best Tamales while the margarita madmen at El Gran Malo won Best Margaritas. For this year’s Tequila & Tamales event,…
How the Mafia Helped Your Mama Do the Twist
Peppermint Twist: The Mob, the Music, and the Most Famous Dance Club of the ’60s By Joel Selvin & John Johnson, Jr. with Dick Cami Thomas Dunne Books, 304 pp., $24.99 As far as dance crazes go, the Twist might go down (swiveling, of course) as the best known of…
Twitter Tips For New Tweeter Pope Benedict XVI
This week Pope Benedict XVI and his staff of baby popes created a Twitter account for himself and Vatican officials to reach out to curious followers and the billion or so Catholics all over the world. The pope and his posse will be known as @pontifex — which sounds like…
Valley Man Caught Molesting Neighbor’s Dog
Last week a man in the Rio Grande Valley caught one of his neighbors trespassing in his kennel, diddling his dog. It happened last Tuesday in the town of San Juan. San Juan Police Department Sgt. Rudy Luna said Jose Angel Hernandez, 54, was spotted by the homeowner when he…
What’s Cooking on Pinterest? Banana Bread Pancakes
Banana pancakes are one of my absolute favorite things to eat for breakfast…or for breakfast for dinner. There’s something about the aroma of bananas, sugar, maple syrup and butter that makes me so warm inside. When I came across this pin for banana bread pancakes, I jumped for joy. Next…
What the #!?& is Kwanzaa?: 7 Songs to Help You Figure It Out
It’s the holiday season again and as usual people are confused: what are all these non-Christmas holidays going on? Last time we helped you figure out what Hanukkah was through the power of song. This time we’ll be covering Kwanzaa. Rewind: What the #?!$ is Hanukkah?: 10 Songs to Help…
100 Creatives: Bear Wilder, Filmmaker, Jewelry Artist, DJ, VJ
What He Does: Bear Wilder has always been a cornerstone of the Houston gothic community as a DJ, VJ, club promoter (R.I.P. Bone Church, you are sorely missed), model, filmmaker, and zine publisher. Now he’s revealing yet another talent through his latest endeavor, Jewelry by Oso. Bear’s work is straight…
Ranking the 2012 Heisman Finalists According to Music Videos
Last week in this space, I speculated that the Vegas big board for the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner released back in June, 23 candidates in all, would actually turn out to contain no eventual 2012 finalists. If you go back and look at the list, it didn’t take Kirk Herbstreit…
The Chicken-Fried Steak of My Dreams at Tom’s Burgers and Grill in Arlington
Weirdly, there’s nothing about Tom’s Burgers & Grill anywhere on the Dallas Observer’s Web site. Perhaps that’s because Tom’s and its charming, chrome-covered diner are in Arlington — a bit far outside the normal expanse of coverage for our sister paper — but considering that we routinely cover spots from…
Top 4 Most Bizarrely Awesome Jobs (NSFW)
Though it’s recovering at a sloooooooow but steady rate, there are still a lot of people here in America out of work. More than that, the fact that the job market is so depressed means that even people with jobs are suffering. Not as much, of course, but consider this:…
The Top 5 Artists Written Off By “Serious Music Listeners”
One of the weirdest things to happen in music in 2012 was the revelation that Ke$ha might be, gasp, a talented singer with ambitions beyond brushing her teeth with Jack Daniels. I’m pretty sure when she debuted in 2009, none of us “serious music listeners” appreciated anything about her. I…
Jason Bernard Jackson: Allegedly Rapes Man, Tells Him He Has AIDS, Then Steals Wallet
Back in the late ’80s, there was an urban legend that went a little something like this: Guy picks up girl, they go back to his place and have sex. Guy falls asleep. When he wakes up, the girl is gone. When the guy goes to the bathroom, he sees…
Today’s DVDs & Blu-rays: Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, Coppola’s New Collection and More
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is controversial, talented and irreverent. He’s also the embodiment of the cultural conflict currently happening in China as artists both curry the favor of and distance themselves from the government. Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, a documentary film by Alison Klayman, the first feature-legnth work on the…
Next Five Games Will Test Young Rockets Starting Tonight Against the Lakers
With a serious tragedy behind them and injured players starting to return to the line up, the Rockets dive into a string of games against contenders and Texas rivals this week that will add yet another test to the young team’s season. First up are the LA Lakers, in town…
‘Tis the Season for Spirits and Cheese: Cherry Vodka Edition
This holiday season, turn the tables on the traditional “wine and cheese” combo by pairing cheeses with your favorite hard alcohol. In this special series, I’ll be investigating which fromages go best with distilled spirits as well as offering tips on how to construct a tasting without breaking the bank…
America Is Faltering, So You Should You Download Massive Mixtape The Underground
The superheroically sincere videographer/director Sama’an Ashrawi comes to mind. So does the hyper-savvy promoter/party pied piper MC Kane. And of course the indomitable do-everything Matt Sonzala. Beyond that, few guys involved in championing underground rap in Houston are as likable as Ram, the face of Local Live Radio’s award-winning program,…
Wishlistr: An Alternative to the Amazon Wish List
As Christmas grows ever closer, I know that I find it extremely helpful to keep a wish list for friends and family who don’t know what to get me. I don’t really care about surprises when it comes to getting gifts. Better to get something I want off of a…
Upcoming: Fleetwood Mac, Alt-J, Lucinda Williams, Eels, Lindsey Stirling, Etc.
Alt-J: Sun., March 10, 8 p.m., $15/$17. Fitzgerald’s, 2706 White Oak, Houston. thelastplaceyoulook: With Another Run, Recovery Room., Fri., Dec. 21, 8 p.m., $5. Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel, Houston. Big Gigantic: Fri., March 1, 8 p.m., $20/$22. House of Blues, 1204 Caroline, Houston. Billy Joe Shaver: Sat., Dec. 29,…
Holiday Gift Guide: 5 Useful Gifts Under $30
Every week this holiday season, we’ll be posting our favorite food-centric gift ideas. This week, we’re featuring Useful Kitchen Tools Under $30. Be sure to check back for guides on Gifts for Kids Who Cook, Last Minute Homemade Gifts and even Useless Gifts Nobody Really Wants. Here are 5 Useful…
Houston Wins Census Challenge, Increases Official Population Total by a Whopping 812
On any given Sunday during football season, there are 70,000 people sitting in the stands at Reliant Stadium watching the game. Imagine just over one percent of those people, probably the number of combined fans standing in the beer and bathroom lines at halftime at one corner of the upper…
Drop Everything, Kate Middleton Is Pregnant
Well, it’s official. The entire country of England collectively smiled politely at each other over the biggest news to hit the motherland since Paul McCartney announced he was getting married again, again — Kate Middleton is pregs. This news doesn’t come as too much of a shock. For one, it’s…
Original Napoli Italian Restaurant and More Delicious Deals in Houston
Treat yourself to an early Christmas gift with today’s Houston Press Voice Daily Deal, good for half-off ($12 for $24) at Original Napoli Italian Restaurant. Family-friendly Napoli serves all of your Italian favorites, from pizza to house-made pasta to authentic entrées, which can all be ordered vegetarian if you so…
Dave Grohl Releases Trailer for Nerd-Boner Doc Sound City
While the Foo Fighters have been on hiatus, lead singer Dave Grohl has been putting the finishing touches on his cinematic love letter to Sound City Studios in Los Angeles. Today the full trailer for Sound City was released online. You can check out the studio’s discography here. The studio’s…
[PHOTO] Houston Texans Fan Paints House After Every Game
There are fans and then there are FANS. I happened to spot this house driving over on Houston’s near northeast side last week — before the Texans beat the Titans, obviously — and had to grab a picture. Some people paint their faces, but this family paints its freaking house!…
Reviews for the Lazy Gamer: Skrillex Quest
Game: Skrillex Quest Platform: Web Browser Publisher/Developer: Jason Oda Genre: Adventure Describe This Game in Three Words: Link vs. Skrillex Plot Synopsis: In the kingdom of code inside a copy of The Legend of Zelda sitting on DJ Skrillex’s desk, a speck of dust on the cartridge has caused that…
My Grandma’s Favorite Christmas Cookie: Pecan Sandtarts
Every year my mom and I bake what seems like an endless amount of Christmas cookies to send to friends and family. We always bake our staple cookies and make a few new ones to spice things up for everyone. We always make sure to send everyone an equal number…
Merry Christmas, High Rollers: The Most Expensive Vintage Concert Tees On eBay
A few days ago I asked Rocks Off fans on Facebook what the most they had ever spent on a concert tee was. Most people topped out at $50 for touring legacy acts, while some shelled out a lot more for hoodies and limited-edition tees. Now the world of concert…
Santa Duck Hunter: This is How We Do Holiday Decorations in Texas
There is a common snicker often heard among people who don’t live in Texas about the Lone Star State. We like to hunt and fish and eat chili with no beans in it. We wear big cowboy hats and cowboy boots on, like, Tuesdays. We talk funny. All of those…
Suit Up for the Holidays with Some Fancy Dress Options (His and Hers!)
Christmas and New Year cometh, which means holiday parties are on the horizon. It may seem selfish to shop for yourself while your Christmas list is a mile long, but if you are staring into your closet and wondering what to wear, best to grab something now while you still…
Pollo Campero Delivers Fresh, Bright, Fun Flavors
A Sunday afternoon. A hangover. A trip to Penzeys to shop for Christmas presents. Are you starting to see the pattern forming? These exact conditions led to my recent, semi-successful trip to El Rey on Washington a few weeks ago and they are what led me back to the same…
5 Movies That Used the Power of Rock to Slay Demons
I have it on very good and not at all fruitcaked authority that rock and roll is the devil’s music. It corrupts the minds of young people, turning them all into savages that breed and destroy in an orgy of murder-boinking that caused the end of the America we all…
Pop Rocks: Is It Time to Retire A Charlie Brown Christmas?
Christmas, if you celebrate it, means tradition. Some families give gifts on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day (Crash Davis does not approve of this, BTW), some sing carols — although speaking personally, no house I have lived in since the 1970s has ever been visited by carolers — and…
Astros Dismantling Continues As Color Man Deshaies Leaves for Chicago
Since 1997, the television voices of the Houston Astros, Bill Brown and Jim Deshaies, have been about as good as you can possibly get in baseball, or any sport, for that matter. Brown’s dry delivery made the perfect set-up man for Deshaies’s wit and insight. They pair was a match…
The 5 Must-Try Dishes at Feast, Before It Closes for Good
Folks, if you never made it to Feast in the past four years, now is your time. The restaurant announced last week that it will be closing for good in nine months once its lease is up and no Houstonian worth their petroleum-byproduct-enhanced-sunsets should let that sun set on Feast…
The Rocks Off 100: Miss Leslie, Queen of the Honky-Tonks
Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community — a lot more than just musicians, but of course they’re in there too. Who? Miss Leslie if you’re country, Leslie Anne Sloane has played fiddle/violin in both…
Austin Kinder Teacher to Afterschool Class: “You Kids Don’t Believe in Santa, Do You?”
Late last week, a five-year-old girl came home from Austin’s Pease Elementary school with a question for her dad. “Daddy,” she asked her father, “Is Santa real?” Dad said yes, and wanted to know why his daughter asked. “Because Mrs. Fuller” — the girl’s afterschool teacher — “said he wasn’t…
Trailer Park: A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III Is the Charlie Sheen/Bill Murray Movie You Have Always Wanted
Coming to theaters on February 8, 2013, is A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, the first cinematic collaboration between Charlie Sheen, the most Googled man of 2011; Bill Murray, the most awesome man of forever; and Jason Schwartzman, who has the best and thickest facial hair in…
Donut Mania at Revival Market a Delicious Start to the Weekend
Given my affinity for Revival Market and their breakfast specials — Kolache Saturday, anyone? — I was surprised last week when I received their newsletter announcing “Donut Mania.” The newsletter mentioned that their donuts are “easily the most popular breakfast” they have served; where the hell was I? It’s possible…
What the #?!$ is Hanukkah?: 10 Songs to Help You Figure It Out
It’s December now, and the holiday season is rapidly approaching. If you’re a Christian, you know the reason for the season is the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus H. Christ. But one thing you may have noticed is that we don’t live in a Christian nation, contrary to…
20 Fun Facts About College Football’s Final Regular Season Coach’s Poll
College football’s methodology for selecting its championship game participants (and its marquee four bowls outside of the title game, for that matter), the BCS, is cloaked in numerous flaws that when all is said and done, more often than not give us a title game shrouded in controversy over who…
Syfy’s New Show Robot Combat League & Who Should Fight a Robot
Last week, Syfy channel announced the release date of their highly anticipated new show Robot Combat League. The show, which will premiere February 26, finds metal-mouthed robots duking it out in a wrestling ring, à la WWE. But with robots. The show steals its premise from several places, one being…
5 Better Places to Hide If You’re Stalking Lady Gaga
Most likely you were at home with your family on Thanksgiving, watching the game and stuffing your face. But if you were a completely psychotic “Little Monster,” you might have preferred to spend that time with 35 others camped out in the garage of Lady Gaga’s mansion. Yes, boys and…
Top 10 Restaurants in Greenway Plaza
Last week, we took a look at the 10 best restaurants in Upper Kirby, a part of town that abuts this week’s spotlighted neighborhood: Greenway Plaza. While it’s considerably more difficult to define Greenway Plaza than Upper Kirby — which has strictly set boundaries, unlike the area around the master-planned…
Oh, the Weather Outside Is…Muggy? Welcome to Houston
Every year Twitter, Facebook, message boards and “real life” are littered with comments from Houstonians about how it sucks that we aren’t living in a fairytale book of Christmas snowy magic. Whenever the temperature eclipses 75 degrees, which it often does in December, no one is in the Christmas spirit…
Houston’s Economy Ranked Number One in the U.S., 40th in the World
Here’s something the sophisticates in New York, elitists in Los Angeles and crack dealers in Miami don’t have on Houston: The Brookings Institution released their Global MetroMonitor last week and Houston’s economy is number one in the country and 40th in the world. Take that, San Diego, with your perfect…
Niko Niko’s: What Urbanspoon Thinks Is Houston’s Most Kid-Friendly Restaurant
Now listen: I love Urbanspoon. I love that it links directly to professional food critics’ reviews of restaurants, so that I have a real sense of a place when I’m in an unfamiliar city. I love the map feature that allows you to find restaurants in different areas of town…
An Electrifying Time at ‘Bleu Électrique’, Menil Collection’s 25th Anniversary Party
And check out our slideshow of the entire weekend’s activities. With all its accolades, it’s hard to believe that the Menil Collection is only 25 years old. In its short lifetime, the Renzo Piano designed building has deservedly received high praise, international recognition, and “iconic” status for the building itself…
Old Photos Mashed with Modern Houston, Volume 5: Baytown
Welcome to the fifth installment of vintage photos mashed with its present-day locations. This time we leave our comfortable city of Houston, cross the Fred Hartman Bridge and venture into Baytown, Texas. Baytown was originally three separate towns: Goose Creek, Pelly and East Baytown. The three towns were consolidated in…
First Look at Nosh, Which Hosted Its Grand Opening Last Week
If you haven’t yet heard of Nosh Bistro — the new restaurant offering South and Southeast Asian-style shared plates in Upper Kirby — prepare yourself. Last week’s grand opening party will undoubtedly have tongues wagging. Located next to Taco Cabana just north of the Southwest Freeway on Kirby, Nosh was…
Bun B, Fat Tony, Niceguys Talk Up Houston to Vice’s Noisey Blog
Got eight minutes to kill? Of course you do; it’s a Monday and you are anticipating 5 p.m. like it’s nothing. You see, Noisey — VICE magazine’s pretty great hipster-music blog, which tends to pick up on a lot of different things just to be different (see having a label…
Seeing Negev Through Gilad Efrat’s Dramatic Oil Paintings
Gilad Efrat has a tendency to become fixated on a subject matter, as evidenced by previous shows dominated by monkey portraits or paintings of European cities destroyed by bombings. In his third exhibition at Inman Gallery, the Tel Aviv artist returns to a subject matter he has visited several times…
Former President Bush Still in Hospital
George H.W. Bush is still being treated for bronchitis at Methodist Hospital, negating doctors’ predictions that he was to be released last weekend, the Associated Press reports. “There is no timeline at the moment for his release,” according to the report. Methodist spokesman George Kovacik told the AP, “They’re not…
Saturday Night: Helstar at Warehouse Live
Helstar, Sanctus Bellum, etc. Warehouse Live December 1, 2012 Heavy metal has long since proven to be the most virulent and drug-resistant strain of rock and roll, always seething just underground and ready to erupt into a blister the minute the mainstream’s immune system weakens. There’s certainly been no cure…
UH’s The Snow Queen Needs More Reindeer
The set-up: This fable by Hans Christian Anderson had delighted children, and adults as well, since its publication in 1844. It has appeared in many forms: in films (anime, animated, live, and a combination of both), in pantos, in plays, in musicals, in operas, in ballet and in modern dance…
Tunnel Explorer: Brooklyn Meatball Co. Needs More Balls
It’s very difficult to predict the half-life of a tunnel restaurant. In a certain respect, it’s the perfect arrangement. Fixed hours, captive audiences, little competition. I have no doubt the rents are high, though, the restrictions many, and the notion of “little competition” is a rather assumptive assumption, based around…
Rev. Bobby Gass: That Cocaine Wasn’t Mine — I Found It in the Church Parking Lot!
A Galveston County pastor charged last week with assault and cocaine possession has quit the pulpit, telling his congregation that the bag of coke officers found in his car was something he had found in the church parking lot. For real. Rev. Kenneth “Bobby” Gass, 60, of Tiki Island, is…
666 Park Avenue:We are Running Out of Time Now
I don’t know why it is so hard to take Whoopi Goldberg seriously, considering that she is an Academy Award winner and some consider her to be an esteemed actress. I think the issue is that all of the people who think good things about her are actually mistaken. This…
Texans-Titans: The 10 Best Playoff-Clinching Rapper Tweets
Houston has a professional football team. That professional football team is called the Houston Texans. A lot of people like them; some are rappers. The Internet has several forms of social media; one is called Twitter. A lot of people use it. Some of them are rappers. Like last week…
Why Screw Caps Stink, Why They Rock and a Pinot Grigio I Dig
“Bartender, bartender! My wine smells like farts!” No, this wasn’t a George Carlin routine. It was me (and my not so inner wine nerd) as I sat at a bar at one of Houston’s most swank joints, waiting to be seated for dinner. Honestly, I wasn’t surprised that my wine…
You Better Watch Out…Someone Might Steal Your Car This Christmas
So, let’s see, what’s on my wish list for this year? There’s this killer Rush baseball jersey, a $1000 Visa gift card, chicken nuggets for life and, oh right, NOT getting my car stolen or broken into. Given how many cars get ripped off during the holidays, that last one…
Acclaimed Chef Chris Kinjo Opening MF Sushi in Houston This Week
When sushi chef Chris Kinjo opened MF Buckhead in Atlanta in 2007 with his brother, Alex, the restaurant was a swift success. The hometown daily — the Atlanta Journal-Constitution — gave it a five-star review (but good luck finding it on the Journal-Constitution’s Web site, easily one of the worst…
Last Night: Rush at Toyota Center
Rush Toyota Center December 2, 2012 I can’t stop thinking big. I can’t stop thinking big. Most bands could never manage to come up with a concept album, let alone more than one. And, certainly, any band that did have the chutzpah to make a concept album for their nineteenth…
Amy Fote Says Good-bye to Houston Ballet in an Exceptional Jubilee Performance
It was an emotional good-bye for Houston Ballet’s principle dancer Amy Fote during the company’s Jubilee of Dance: A Tribute to Amy Fote; she retires from the company later this month. A Wisconsin native, Fote joined the Houston Ballet in 2005 as a first soloist after spending 14 seasons with…
Cougars Stage Reunion With the Aggies, Then Lose
The arena was crowded. The fans were loud. Two old foes prepared to face off on the court. Close your eyes and you could almost swear you were back in the 1980s and the Southwest Conference still existed. Such was Hofheinz Pavilion on Saturday night as the Houston Cougars hosted…
Friday Night: David Bazan at Fitzgerald’s
David Bazan Fitzgerald’s November 30, 2012 I must have been absent the day we began celebrating albums’ “birthdays”; nevertheless, when it serves as the reason for an artist to play one of his most esteemed albums for an entire tour, I’ll play along. Pedro the Lion front man David Bazan…
10 Songs Still Missing From Spotify & What You Can Listen to Instead
As recently mentioned, I’m a pretty big fan of Spotify. Speaking as someone who never got over getting burned by my purchase of Stroke 9’s Nasty Little Thoughts I’m a big fan of having the chance to listen to a record all the way through before making a purchase. In…
Red Alert: Why Elf On A Shelf Is Freaking Creepy And Un-American
A few of my child-rearing friends on Facebook are currently doing the Elf On A Shelf thing with their kids this holiday season. You may have heard of this newfound Christmas tradition, where families “adopt” these elves into their homes for them to commit loveable acts of mischief around the…
What’s Cooking This Week? Eggplant Gratin & More
I love cooking for my fiancé and me, but most of the time, cooking for two proves to be difficult. If I don’t make a plan, I end up running around in circles at the grocery store and wasting half the ingredient’s I’ve bought (and I hate wasting food). Enter…
Texans 24, Titans 10: Defense Returns to Form in Playoff-Clinching Win
After back-to-back games of exhilarating drama, the Texans seem back to their usual selves. That’s just fine for soon-to-be Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt. Led by Watt and a defense that suffocated Tennessee and second-year QB Jake Locker, the Texans cruised to 11-1 and clinched the second postseason…
Burritos the Size of a Toddler: The Top 10 Houston Food Truck Menu Items
The food truck scene in Houston is in flux, to be sure. New trucks have entered the scene as recently as the past month while long-term players have seemingly vanished off the face of the earth. Driving southbound on Montrose, you can even spot this phenomenon in action for yourself…
Todd Waite Pokes Xmas in the Eye Once More as Crumpet the Elf in Santaland Diaries
The set-up: He’s back! That 39-year-old gay schlub, down on his luck who aches for TV soap stardom, finds his calling over the holidays in a temp job from hell as an elf at Macy’s Santaland, the place where Christmas spirit goes to die. In David Sedaris’ profane, hilarious, and…
5 Things We Learned From SI.com’s Fascinating 2012 Mock College Football Playoff Selection
Since the largely money-driven epiphany of the college presidents and power brokers of the Bowl Championship Series finally gave us the promise of a four-team playoff beginning with the 2014 season, one of my many questions has been “Why do we have to wait until 2014?” I think I know…
Every Vampire Lord Superiority Monologue is Utter Bullshit, And I Can Prove It
I started out this gig talking about vampires, and through careful manipulation I have ensured that my writing milestones are all centered on vampires. I review True Blood every year, I interview vampiric kind of people, make bloodsucking playlists, I’ve got straight vamp legitimacy, OK? Recently, I found myself unwilling…
The 5 Best Shows In Houston This Week: December 3-6
Of Montreal, Wild Moccasins, French Horn Rebellion Warehouse Live, December 3 Of Montreal’s sunny psych-pop brims with such starry-eyed youthful bliss that it might be a little sobering for aging hipsters to remember that Kevin Barnes’ crew was once peers with Elf Power, Olivia Tremor Control and The Apples In…
Are These the Best Fajitas in Houston?
When it comes to fajitas in Houston, many Houstonians seem firmly divided into two camps: Those who hold Lupe Tortilla’s lime-marinated strips of steak to be the best around, and those who maintain that Ninfa’s on Navigation is where the fajita was born and where they’ll go to eat their…
No Hollywood Ending for Dynamo in MLS Cup loss
For the first 57 minutes of Saturday’s MLS Cup match, the Houston Dynamo were in total control of the defending champion LA Galaxy. They had a 1-0 advantage thanks to a Calen Carr goal just before the half, and they looked poised for a second. Then Carr goes down with…
An Abridged Breakdown of Houston Club Music (NSFW)
On any given Friday night, Bayou Place is absolutely packed. The club located in the heart of the theater district has split itself into four separate rooms and accommodates about as many patrons as tailgaters in the Reliant parking lot at a Texans game. Everyone shows up, everyone parties, everyone…
Stark Raving Wines, Joel Stein, Food Trucks and a Crazy Good Time at Cottonwood
When I saw the H-Town StrEATS post about the Stark Raving Wines book signing with free wine and street truck food, I didn’t hesitate. Seriously. Street food and wine, plus the opportunity to meet regularly featured Time magazine columnist and book author Joel Stein — how could I resist? It…
Noise-Complaining Nimbys: Not Just an Inner Loop Hassle Anymore
The owner of a historic Oak Forest icehouse is suing a neighbor for assault, claiming that the man’s violent threats and overall pattern of harassment are harming his business. Plaintiff Edward Sanchez owns the Catty Corner Ice House on Wakefield Street, a storied avenue of near Northwest Side dive bars,…
25 Million Drops In the Bucket: Why Adele’s Continued Success Matters For All of Us
According to @chartnews, last week 27,772 people either visited their local record store or went online to purchase Adele’s 21. Even though the album came out here in the states on February 22, 2011 there will still 27,772 people out there who decided last week was the week they were…
Feast, Acclaimed Nose-to-Tail Restaurant, Closing in 9 Months
In the next nine months, you can do one of two things: (1) gestate a human being inside your womb (requirement: possessing female anatomy) or (2) eat at Feast one last time before the restaurant closes for good. In a Twitter update this afternoon, Meagan Silk — wife of chef…
Top Five Things to Do This Weekend: Jubilee of Dance, Kimberly Akimbo, Santaland Diaries, Dickens on the Strand and more
Houston Ballet’s principal dancer Amy Fote is hanging up her toeshoes, and on Friday, to mark the occasion, the company is dedicating their ninth annual Jubilee of Dance: A Tribute to Amy Fote in her honor. Fote joined the Houston Ballet in 2005. It took her less than a year…
Texans Fans Share Their Game Day Superstitions
In the mid ’90s when the Rockets were winning back-to-back titles in the NBA, I was a bit of a diehard. I watched every game, attended as many as I could and got pretty animated during games. Let’s just say I left a few remote controls in my wake. I…
“Hello” Again: Coast Is Back, For Those Who Have Been Missing Him
“The same guy that left for three years and didn’t say ‘bye,’ I think I should go on to take the time to stop and say ‘hi.'” — Coast For an all-too-short period approximately a handful of years ago, Coast, perhaps the most Google-unfriendly rapper of all, was accessible. His…
Person of Interest: Marriage Is a Dish Best Served Cold
Love is in the air! Not only were this week’s only flashbacks to the budding romance between Finch and his his great lost love Grace, but it’s also looking like there’s romance brewing for both Carter and Fusco (not with each other, however). Yes, Fusco. Being an expert on network…
Smitten and Barefoot: Our Top 5 Cookbooks for Christmas
I have a confession to make: I am a cookbook-aholic. I absolutely love reading and collecting cookbooks. Sometimes I like to sit in Barnes & Noble and read through all of the new cookbooks displayed in the food section of the store. I love the pictures, I love the author’s…
Sketches of AT&T Robbery Suspects — Including One Who Is “Big Boned” — Released by Police
Houston police released sketches of three suspects allegedly involved in robberies of AT&T employees in the Acres Homes area. According to a press release, the three men approach AT&T workers, threaten them with guns and steal their belongings, including phones and iPads issued by AT&T. In addition to rewards offered…
Holiday Lighting: The Week in Art Photos
It’s time again to check out the Houston Press Flickr Pool and see what kinds of art shots our talented photographers have added. We love street art, unique perspectives and beautiful photos of Houston’s creative community. If you think you’ve got a good eye, drop your pictures in the pool…
Christmas Food Gifts: Angel Slices
One of my favorite parts of Christmas is giving food gifts to friends and family. There’s something about baking or cooking something scrumptious and packaging it up for loved ones that makes me feel so good inside. I guess you could say it’s the Christmas cheer within my heart. Every…
The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators & 10 Early Texas Psych Bands You Should Know
Forty-six years ago today, rock and roll got a hell of a lot weirder in the state of Texas. On Nov. 30, 1966, Austin garage band The 13th Floor Elevators released their The Psychedelic Sounds Of album on Houston’s International Artists label. Powered by the raw, fluttering classic “You’re Gonna…
MLS Cup: Five Keys to a Dynamo Victory
On Saturday afternoon, the Houston Dynamo will attempt to join an elite group of MLS clubs – as they try to become just the third team to win three MLS Cups. One of the teams in that group is the Dynamo’s adversary this weekend – the LA Galaxy. How did…
The Lone Star Bazaar Invades Montrose on December 22
Just in time for all of you procrastinating husbands, boyfriends, wives, girlfriends and single people with mucho disposable income comes the Lone Star Bazaar, set to invade Montrose at the Numbers complex on December 22. The organizers say that the response from the community about the event has been so…
Upcoming Events: Put That Ugly Christmas Sweater to Good Use
Coming up this Tuesday, December 4, Haven and Cove will be kicking off the Christmas season with a Champagne dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. The three-course dinner created by chef Randy Evans will feature a passed tasting of raw dishes from Cove to start. Courses include duck confit with roasted…
With 30 Years In the Game, Helstar Shreds Anew This Saturday
After all the riffs, after all the load-ins, and after all the Jager shots, what is it, exactly, that keeps a heavy metal band from Houston, Texas, shrieking and shredding across the globe for 30 years? Rewind: Multiples of Black: Helstar celebrate their 30th anniversary in style Magic, of course…
Five Things Learned About Rice and UH Football This Season
The college football season ended last week, and it’s safe to say that the season didn’t exactly go as Rice (6-6) and the University of Houston (5-7) wanted. For Rice, things went a bit better. For the Cougars, things went a lot worse. So here are five things we learned…
It’s a Wonderful Life: Time Travel to Old-time Radio Days When Imagination Was Left Up to the Listener
The setup: Old-time radio drama gets a nostalgic analog tune-up under Texas Repertory Theatre’s adaptation of Frank Capra’s Christmas-friendly movie It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). In Joe Landry’s stage version, we’re the 1940s audience during a live radio broadcast of NYC station WBFR’s “Playhouse of the Air,” like something out…
Jingle Bell Run to the Eating…Our Words Food Truck Village on December 9
Between our ongoing Food Truck Friday series and our recent food truck court at Jones Plaza to welcome Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert to town, the Houston Press has been busy rounding up the best meals on wheels — and we’ve got another great event coming up on December 9…
Staind’s Aaron Lewis on Country Music: “It’s Where I Am, Creatively”
“Years ago, if you had told me I was going to record a country record, I would have laughed at you,” says vocalist Aaron Lewis. But record a country album, he did. And it’s been a hit so far. Though he may be a relatively new face to country, Lewis…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: Killing Them Softly
Title: Killing Them Softly Sweet, I Love Roberta Flack. Although the soundtrack features a nicely eclectic mix of artists (including perhaps the 2nd best use of Johnny Cash’s “The Man Comes Around” in a film), the titular song is nowhere to be found. Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The…
The Chron’s Top Execs Write Another Memo as They Prepare to Hand Out Merit Checks to the Best of the Best at the Chron (Lesser Employees Are Excused to Go Pound Sand)
It’s homestretch time for Houston Chronicle President John O’Loughlin and Publisher Tom Stephenson, who we’ve written about before for their determination to be one of the Top 50 Places to Work in Houston while at the same time doing away with regular raises for Chron employees. In the latest missive…
Michael Jackson’s Thriller at 30: The 10 Best Album-Cover Homages & Parodies
Thirty years ago today, on November 30, 1982, Michael Jackson released Thriller, the follow-up to 1979’s Off the Wall. It’s obviously one of the biggest albums ever released on Earth, in terms of sales (possibly close to 100 million by some figures) and cultural influence. Thriller has also been written…
Health Department Roundup: Greyhound Station-area McDonald’s, Tiny Boxwood’s and More
The McDonald’s (2017 Main) across from the Midtown/downtown Greyhound station is a strange place. You half expect a crazed Dennis Hopper to pop out of the trash can, torso strewn with cameras, saying, “He likes you because you’re still alive,” talking about the manager on duty. Still, you can feel…
Bo Knows Bo: Bo Jackson Turns 50 Years Old, Smashes Old Age Over His Knee
Today Bo Jackson turns 50 years old. The former baseball and football star was one of the most exciting players to watch in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Dem legs, you guys. And he knew how to sell shoes. He did double duty with the then Los Angeles Raiders…
Bob Schneider: “I Find Most Christmas Music to Be Really Annoying”
It seems like you can count on singer-songwriter Bob Schneider to be in Houston at least once a month or so to pack the Mucky Duck of House of Blues for a night of drinking and revelry. But Friday night, presented by the Duck, he’ll be haunting the Wortham Theater…
Gifts Under $50: Stocking Stuffers, Secret Santa, and Last-Minute Gift Ideas
When we compiled our Christmas gift guides for him and her, we included a variety of stylish options at various price points to help you make your Christmas shopping list. Naturally, there are some pretty pricey items in there, designed to make someone special feel, well, special. Of course you…
Help Calliope’s Po-Boy Choose Its New Name
“What’s in a name?” asked owner Lisa Carnley on the Facebook page for her restaurant that was — until two months ago — known as Calliope’s Po-Boy. After a slight bit of legal drama with the new Calliope’s Po-Boy on West Bellfort, Carnley decided to let that shop keep the…
Gennifer Bree Simons: The Tortured Mugshot of a Woman Scorned (and Accused Arsonist)
Pasadena authorities say the ex-girlfriend of a local man set his house on fire Sunday evening. Thirty-three-year-old Gennifer Bree Simons was arrested a short time after the 7 p.m. blaze, which investigators say was intentionally ignited in a back bedroom. Witnesses told investigators that they had seen a woman running…
100 Creatives 2012: Antoine Plante, Conductor
Antoine Plante, conductor, artistic director and co-founder of Mercury, the Orchestra Redefined (formerly known as Mercury Baroque) likes things to be big and bold. “Baroque music is about big gestures, but on a human scale,” he tells us by phone from New York where he’s promoting the orchestra. “Exuberance, passion,…
The Rest of the Best: Houston’s Top 5 All-Ages Venues
5. CONTEMPORARY ARTS MUSEUM HOUSTON The chasm dividing Houston music and Houston art is shrinking; more and more arts venues are teaming up with local musicians and/or DJs to add rhythm to their gallery opening nights. The CAMH, adjacent to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), is a perfect…
Comment of the Day: Ready to Get As Drunk As You Can, ‘Cause It’s Your Right
Here on Eating…Our Words, the commenters absolutely make the blog. And every once in a while, one comment will stand out from the pack — whether it’s absolutely hilarious, stunningly awful or thoughtfully constructed and well-argued. We honor them with the Comment of the Day. Yesterday, our own Joshua Justice…
Football! This Weekend’s Best Bets — “College Football Playoff, Get Here Soon” Edition
It’s the first weekend of December, and you know what that means — a slew of college football conference championship games that, to the average college football fan, mean virtually nothing. Sure, will some teams win their way into automatic bids to BCS bowls? Yes. In the spirit of…well, spirit,…
Witchcraft, Underdogs and Blacksmiths: November 2012 in Openings & Closings
On my way home a few nights ago, I noticed that a hunch I’d had was true: Bibas Brooklyn Express had closed after only six short months in business on Main Street. I’d noticed the lights off for a few days, and a new spread of brown paper in the…
11 Ways to Keep Fear of Santa Going Throughout the Year
I am famous here at the Houston Press for writing a heart-warming guide to keeping the illusion of Santa Claus up for doubtful children using the very best in geek pop culture. People patted me on the back and told me that it was a magical essay they would save…
10 Cool & Cheap Weekenders: November 30-December 2
Old Crow Medicine Show House of Blues, November 30 The Old Crow boys seem to be the cooler Americana gateway drug of choice for younger listeners. A sort of anti-Mumfords you can rep without looking like a radio-rock tool, the pickers don’t bash you over the head with dear melodies,…
Doctor: Former President Bush Doing Well After Bronchitis, Will Leave Hospital Soon
Former President George H.W. Bush is in Methodist Hospital for bronchitis, his chief of staff has told the Houston Chronicle. Jean Becker says the 88-year-old Bush was hospitalized seven days ago, but doctors have said his condition is not life-threatening. He is expected to be released this weekend. “Bush has…
App of the Week: iFinger Wraps Horrible Name in Christmas Sadness
App: iFinger Platform: iPhone Web site: App Store Cost: Free There are some pretty pointless apps out there. CatPaint springs to mind even though it is an absolutely stupid amount of fun. But when apps claim to do something and do it poorly, it goes beyond dumb and enters the…
Cover Story: Pancho and Shorty, the Battle of Barrio Christmas
For 16 years, Richard “Pancho Claus” Reyes and Shorty Villarreal were partners in barrio Christmas. Pancho was the zoot-suited Santa Claus figure, while lowrider expert Villarreal provided his sleigh (a pick-up truck), his reindeer (eight lowriders belonging to Villarreal’s Latin Fantasy car club, and the thousands of toys and goodie…
Stanley Marsh 3 Charged with 11 Sex Crimes; Hires Houston’s Paul Nugent and Heather Peterson
Quirky millionaire Amarillo oil heir and arts patron Stanley Marsh 3 was booked into Potter County Jail yesterday on 11 sex crimes involving boys under the age of 17. He has since been released after paying his $325,000 in bonds, according to court records. The arrest follows a half-dozen lawsuits…
We Need More Rapper 8-Bit Video Games
2 Chainz and Juicy J have owned 2012, whether you like it or not. Both of them could have ran for President of the Ratchet United States of America and won in a landslide on the 2 Trippy ticket. Their greatest gift to mankind this year? Time-wasting awesomeness in the…
An Ongoing Issue: Bartender in The Woodlands Arrested After Allegations of Over-Serving
The Houston Chronicle reported this morning that a bartender at the popular Baker Street Pub location at The Woodlands Waterway has been arrested for allegedly over-serving a patron. Chelsea Marie Willburn, 24, was arrested early Sunday morning after a patron whom she’d served at Baker Street was found stumbling drunkenly…
The Houston Texans 2012 All Character(s) Team
Having a good team requires a mix of straight arrows — guys like Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson, who appear nearly asleep when they aren’t slicing and dicing opponents like cold cuts — and goofballs who keep things light in what can often be a very intense work environment. Throughout…
Free for All: “Flying Solo,” It’s a Wonderful Life and New Video from China
Panoramic photographer, and former Best Photographer winner in Houston Press Best of awards 2011, Chuy Benitez had a “right place/right time” moment when he stumbled onto an Occupy Wall Street protest in New York City recently. As police unexpectedly began to arrest and remove the peaceful protestors, Benitez looked for…
What’s Cooking on Pinterest? Nutella-Stuffed Brown Butter & Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies
Christmas season is finally officially here. That means baking cookies just because you feel like it is completely appropriate. The food and beverage section of Pinterest offers an overwhelming amount of sweets and treats for this holiday season. Out of all the delicious and mouthwatering desserts I saw on Pinterest,…
5 Shrewd Ways Musicians Give Away Free Music
Musicians can always find a reason to give their music away for free. Such a seemingly selfless act may result in increased popularity, real monetary profit, a statement being made, or perhaps simply sharing their talents with the world. With such results in mind, here are five strategies musicians have…
Austinite Videos Himself Being Rejected Every Day for 100 Days
Anyone who owns a business or, for that matter, lives on planet earth has had to face rejection. It might be from a potential business partner or a potential romantic partner. You think you are offering a great deal. You get your pitch together and it all goes thud right…
Remembering Smashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie With Fondness and Weariness
Seventeen years and change on, opinions on the Smashing Pumpkins’ sprawling 1995 double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness differ vastly from one fan to the other. Most everyone agrees it’s bloated, and some even call it the beginning of the end for the band, the point when Pumpkins…
Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) Is Getting Married and Our Favorite TV Weddings
The day that we all never thought in a million years would happen is upon us. Liz Lemon, Tina Fey’s slobby, self-deprecating alter ego on the show 30 Rock, is getting married tonight. We are totally “Lizzing” all over our pants. If you’ve followed the show over the years, this…
First Look at Papa Mio Italian Cafe (Takeout Edition)
Even though I’ve lived in Houston for almost five years, I still get a kick out of funky zoning laws that enable restaurant and residential properties to intermingle on the same block. My first year in town, I lived two doors down from a cupcakery, and now, I’m within a…
Dissecting the Surveillance Video Shot of a Crosby Walmart Bank Robber
Before I get to this photo, it is worth noting that the impetus for this is a serious story about a guy who robbed a bank inside a Walmart in Crosby. The suspect apparently walked into the store at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, verbally threatened tellers and demanded cash. He…
The 10 Most Overplayed Songs at Mexican Weddings, Texas Edition
Earlier this month, Rocks Off contributor and all-around nice guy Jeff Balke enlightened us with this little list of songs that are standard operating procedure at weddings. But as much as I love “Twist & Shout” and “YMCA,” in my very Mexican experience, those songs were not what I was…
Get the Best Christmas Gifts at Citrus Fest This Weekend at the Eastside Farmers Market
Want to get your loved ones an unusual, thoughtful Christmas gift that keeps giving year after year? Of course you do. Your father doesn’t need any more ties, socks or boxers and your mother is only using that coffeemaker because you bought it for her. She secretly hates it. So…
American Horror Story: Asylum: Hey Jude
My apologies to loyal readers for skipping out last week on American Horror Story: Asylum. My attempts to watch the ever-increasingly display of terror and brilliance was continuously hampered by an excited child high as balls on her mother’s delicious Thanksgiving desserts and said child’s insistence on watching Dora the…
Houston’s Bearded, Bald, Vegan, Hipster Athletes Getting National Attention
It ain’t easy being a Houston athlete. Despite being the fourth-largest city in America, we haven’t exactly had a tradition of winning sports teams. The Rockets made big runs in the early and mid ’80s before breaking through and winning back-to-back titles in the early ’90s. Still, they haven’t been…
Pop Rocks: Ben Affleck Is Entertainer Of The Year? We Can Do Better Than That.
Citing his one-two punch acting in and directing Argo, magazine Entertainment Weekly has named Ben Affleck their #1 Entertainer of the Year: Having captivated moviegoers both in front of and behind the camera with Argo, Ben Affleck earned the number one spot on our annual list of the most talented…
The Rocks Off 100: Tyagaraja, Truly Mystical Musician
Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community — a lot more than just musicians, but of course they’re in there too. Who? Not all that many musicians around here aspire to live like monks, but…
How To: Assemble a Holiday Hangover Relief Gift Basket
Retailers would love for you to spend around $75 for a gift basket, but assembling one yourself costs you a quarter as much and allows you to indulge your creativity. Although smoked sausages, spread cheeses and chocolates are popular components, I say rethink tradition. Who really needs more decadent food…
Warren Jeffs, Polygamist Sect Leader Accused of Sexual Abuse, Has Ranch Seized
Attorney General Greg Abbott has moved to seize a 1,700-acre ranch in West Texas, the scene of a 2008 raid of a polygamous sect accused of rampant sexual abuse and underage marriage in the name of religion. Warren Jeffs, the one-time prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of…
Rockabilly Legend Wanda Jackson: “I Do Music People Like”
Wanda Jackson has had a career most musicians would envy. The “Queen of Rockabilly” has entertained audiences for decades with such songs as “Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad,” “Hard Headed Woman” and “Fujiyama Mama,” displaying an originality and bravado that helped pave the way for artists as diverse as…
More ’90s TV Reboots Please — The Possibilities Are Endless
Actor Ben Savage confirmed this week on Twitter what we had all been fearing/wishing. The Disney Channel is developing a Boy Meets World spin-off called Girl Meets World. REWIND: Top 10 — The Best TGIF Shows Ever The new World would of course pick up where the original BMW left…
Carrying on the Curse: 4 Jinxed Houston Restaurant Locations
Yesterday we looked at seven spots that seemed to have “reversed the curse” by shaking out of the revolving-door patterns of their addresses’ previous tenants. Today we have four spots that continue to falter. 322 Westheimer Today: Empty Previously: Don Julio’s, Café Bello, La Strada The fire was probably the…
Johnny “Football” Manziel: How Badly Did Vegas Miss on the 2012 Heisman?
Any way you slice it, the “Johnny Manziel for Heisman” story (covered ad nauseum in this space over the last few days) is one of the most unlikely sports stories certainly of this calendar year and perhaps in the history of college football. Lightly recruited, undersized redshirt freshman quarterback emerges…
5 Albums I’d Like to Read
I suppose it was inevitable that Rush wrote a book. To move from long-form albums with intricate plot-lines and involved character development to a multi-hundred-page novel with the same isn’t really much of a leap, after all, and prog has always been at least a bit about bombast. What could…
Houston’s 10 Best Late-Night Dining Options
Good morning, sunshine. Did you have a long night? I hope not; it’s only Thursday. Get ahold of yourself, man. Those long nights should be reserved for Friday and Saturday wee-small-hours-of-the-morning-type deals; mid-week debauchery is so 1990s. Regardless of when you’re staying up super late (or why), Houston’s increasing number…
Fat Mannequins Disgusting People On the Internet
A few weeks back I wrote a post about the terrible reaction by some to a new line of obesity public service announcements. Lots of you weighed in on how you felt about the media, more or less, telling overweight people that they are in fact overweight. The consensus on…
What Does “Wey” Mean?
Dear Mexican, In President Bush’s State of the Union address, he reiterated a need for a guest worker program. What is your opinion of such a program? The program seems like mierda that screws people over in the long run to me, but what do I know? una guerita por…
Pancho and Shorty
For 16 years, during every daylight hour of every Christmas Day, Richard Reyes, known as “Pancho Claus,” would don a red-and-black zoot suit, shades and a fedora, stand in the bed of Sotero “Shorty” Villarreal’s pickup truck and ride through the streets, dispensing gifts. Flanked by a phalanx of eight…
Odd Future
The Odd Future clan, the bad kids of indie hip-hop, pretty much owned the imaginations of the music press in 2011. The group’s antics — and constantly quotable leader, Tyler, The Creator — tended to overshadow the actual music, which is a lot more adventurous than many industry curmudgeons want…
The Best Action Director Working Today
If David Cronenberg and Luc Besson had a mutant baby, it still wouldn’t be able to make a movie quite as hypnotically badass as Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, a fact that might be surprising to those who reasonably assumed that the Jean-Claude Van Damme–and–Dolph Lundgren–headlined franchise had died some…
Got a Light?
Check out Sparrow Bar + Cookshop in our slideshow. “This is still Monica’s restaurant; this is still Monica’s food.” You can hear that same greeting ringing out across Sparrow Bar + Kitchen each night as waiters assure diners at their tables — usually within the first minute of being seated…
Still Flying
When Cathy Rigby was a gymnast, winning world titles and representing the United States in the Olympics, the sport was all she focused on. When she was done, she really didn’t have another career in mind. “I knew I wanted to get married and have children because I didn’t get…
Michael Vackar: Ex-Employee Says He Was Fired for Not Taking Clients to Strip Clubs
Highlights from Hair Balls COURTS Michael Vackar: Ex-Employee Says He Was Fired for Not Taking Clients to Strip Clubs By Craig Malisow Editor’s note: U.S. District Court Judge Lee Roseinthal ruled in 2013 that Michael Vackar’s claims were false, and she later ruled that Vackar engaged in fraud, libel and…
The Way We Die Now
Part of the renascent body-count action industry, Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning’s mere existence might shock many Americans. “There are four Universal Soldier movies?” those shocked Americans would say. They might also be taken aback by the bracing violence that marks the film from stem to stern: the gangland-style execution…
The Punishers
Depending on whether you count direct-to-video releases, Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning is either the fourth or sixth film in the low-rent, Panda Express-level Universal Soldier franchise, the descendant of a rip off of The Terminator. But less money equals less studio oversight, and the directors of low-budget sequels to…
Of Montreal, French Horn Rebellion
Of Montreal’s sunny psych-pop brims with such starry-eyed youthful bliss that it might be a little sobering for aging hipsters to remember that Kevin Barnes’s crew was once peers with Elf Power, Olivia Tremor Control and The Apples In Stereo in Athens, Georgia’s legendary Elephant 6 scene. (Do they call…
Making a Killing in Obama’s America
An adaptation of George V. Higgins’s 1974 novel Cogan’s Trade, Andrew Dominik’s Killing Them Softly anatomizes a self-policing underground economy of junkies, killers and administrators to indict a present-day mainstream world — the world into which the film is being released by Harvey Weinstein, heralded by misleadingly generic TV adverts…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Flying Solo,” “[Houston Times Eight],” “Jonathan Faber: Surface,” “Structural Impermanence: New Works by Renée Lotenero,” “Translucent Trajectories”
“Flying Solo” One of my first reactions to seeing the names involved in “Flying Solo,” a new group exhibition at Art League Houston featuring Houston artists who aren’t represented by a commercial gallery, was surprise that so many of them aren’t represented. The seven artists included offer such unique, distinct…
Wanda Jackson
Known as the “First Lady of Rockabilly” since the days she toured with (and briefly dated) Elvis, Jackson is also a honky-tonk queen bar none and now one of the hottest names in alt-country all over again. Emboldened by her Jack White-produced 2011 comeback The Party Ain’t Over, the 75-year-old…
Nick Greer
One of the brightest stars in the current explosion of Houston music, Nick Greer is a bow-tied redheaded wunderkind, able to flitter between piano pop and hip-hop — he helped out on the Niceguys’ James Kelley — with the flick of a wrist and the slightest touch. Starting at a…
Spoiler Alert!
GROCERY GUIDE Have you ever been really excited to get a sweet deal on a clamshell of raspberries, only to find that they’re all but covered in mold three days later? We know; those things get ruined faster than a prom dress at a kegger. That’s why you have to…
Old Crow Medicine Show
The Old Crow boys seem to be the cooler Americana gateway drug of choice for younger listeners. A sort of anti-Mumfords you can rep without looking like a radio-rock tool, the pickers don’t bash you over the head with dear melodies, just gritty stories and Doc Watson-approved bluegrass chicanery. The…
Capsule Stage Reviews: Beebo Brinker’s Chronicles, Girls Only — the Secret Comedy of Women, Home for the Dysfunctional Family Holidays!, Love Goes to Press, Sylvia
Celebration Theatre specializes in gay theater, and presents its third production, a play set in Greenwich Village in the ’50s, centering on the lives and loves of lesbians. The script is based on the pulp fiction novels of Ann Bannon, and is sincere in resisting the temptation for parody, but…
Rush
Canadian rock gods Rush are now a legacy act of the highest order, able to attract grandfathers, grandmothers and their grandkids, plus hip parents and teething toddlers in 2112 rompers. The band’s story was expertly told in star-studded 2010 rock doc Beyond the Lighted Stage, which makes a great starter…
Bruce Kessler’s Incredible Houston Concert Photo Archive
ONLY IN HOUSTON Bruce Kessler’s RockinHouston.com is quite simply the best collection of Houston’s rock and roll concert past, period. Kessler, a former Pace Concerts house photographer, has amassed a database of every show that he and others shot in Houston from 1965 up until 2005. The works of the…
